GRUNWALDS HAVE – housing, culture and urban life

In the heart of Copenhagen, on the former industrial grounds of Østre Gasværk, a new urban development has transformed a once utilitarian parking area into a layered residential and cultural environment. Known as Grunwalds Have, the project brings together youth housing, theatre facilities, and integrated landscape design—creating a vibrant setting where everyday life, movement, and greenery intersect.

The site, previously serving nearby sports and recreational functions, has been reimagined as a dense yet open urban structure. A three-sided residential block frames a long, elevated courtyard built atop a parking deck, balancing the need for high-capacity infrastructure with the ambition to create meaningful outdoor spaces. With 223 youth residences, an adjacent rehearsal stage, and extensive parking requirements, the project responds to both practical demands and the desire for social and spatial quality.

At the centre of the development lies the courtyard garden—an elevated, green commons designed for daily use, informal meetings, and physical activity. Despite its placement on a deck, the space unfolds as a varied and immersive landscape. Gently sculpted terrain, planted with grasses, perennials, shrubs, and trees, creates a sequence of spaces and clearings that invite for both movement and pause.
A defining feature of the project is the broad, green staircase that connects the courtyard to the adjacent street. This transitional element functions as both infrastructure and social space—an inviting arrival point that captures afternoon sun and frames views toward the theatre in the historic gasometer. Here, the boundary between city and courtyard dissolves, encouraging interaction between residents, visitors, and the surrounding neighbourhood.

Planting design plays a crucial role in mediating scale and atmosphere. Trees and vegetation are carefully selected and engineered to thrive in lightweight growing media atop the deck, ensuring both resilience and lushness. The layered planting strategy softens the architectural mass while establishing a rich sensory environment that changes with the seasons. Vertical greenery along facades and balcony walkways further enhances the sense of immersion, reinforcing the courtyard as a cohesive interior landscape. A planted rooftop terrace at a higher level offers opportunities for more secluded stays and privacy, with views over the city and Østre Gasværk’s iconic domed roof.

Technical constraints—such as the integration of extensive bicycle and car parking—have been addressed through detailed planning and flow analysis. Access points, ramps, and circulation routes are carefully coordinated to ensure efficiency without compromising spatial quality. At the same time, sustainable water management is embedded within the landscape design, with rainwater retained and distributed through planting beds using integrated LAR solutions.
Grunwalds Have demonstrates how complex urban requirements can be resolved through a holistic approach to architecture and landscape. By placing a green, shared space at the centre of a dense development, the project creates more than just housing—it establishes a living environment that supports community, movement, and everyday wellbeing. Elevated above the city yet deeply connected to it, the courtyard becomes a contemporary urban oasis—rooted in both place and purpose.

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